Pipe rack and storage box



Jan. 28, 1958 J. R. BENDER PIPE RACK AND STORAGE BOX Filed NOV. 1, 1954Sheets-Sheet l Jan, 28, 1958 R DE 2,821,448

PIPE RACK AND STORAGE! BOX I Filed Nov. 1, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I l o oI Emit PIPE RACK AND STORAGE BOX Julian R. Bender, Brooklyn, N. '1.Application November 1, 1954, Serial N 0. 465,882 1 Claim. (Cl. 312-31)This invention relates to a smoking accessory and is more particularlyconcerned with a pipe holding and storing device. More specifically theinvention relates to a device of the character indicated wherein thepipes are maintained in a deodorizing atmosphere.

Many types of pipe racks and holders are known which are used in thehome or office for holding and storing smoking pipes when not in use.These devices are, for the most part, simple racks having an aperturedsupport for the stem of the pipe and having a suitably grooved surfacefor receiving the bowl of the pipe. When these conventional pipe racksand holders are used, the pipe is exposed to the room air and collectsdust and moisture and gives off characteristic odors to the surroundingatmosphere. To persons who do not smoke, this odor is oftendisagreeable, and the continuous presence of odors and moisture in thepipe, due to repeated use and exposure of the resultant tars and othercombustion products, causes changes which are unpleasant even to thepipe user. Furthermore, the pipe racks and stands commonly used arediflicult to clean, have a rather limited capacity, and often canaccommodate pipes only of specific sizes.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a pipe holding andstoring device which avoids the disadvantages and drawbacks of the pipeholders and racks heretofore known.

It is another object of the invention to provide a device of thecharacter indicated which can accommodate a maximum number of pipes evenwhen the pipes are of varying sizes.

It is another object of the invention to provide a pipe holding andstoring device which is easily cleaned.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a pipe holding andstoring device which maintains the pipes in a deodorizing anddehumidifying atmosphere.

In accordance with the invention, 1 provide an improved device forholding and storing smoking pipes which includes a rack having a baseprovided with a continuous groove for receiving the pipe bowls, the basebeing in communicating relationship with a chamber adapted to contain adehumidifying and deodorizing agent and being constructed to provide ashort path for the flow of vapors between the bowl of the pipes and thedeodorizing chamber, the base being associated with a rack member forconfining the stems of the pipes being stored.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the base is connected with acover member which is constructed to cooperate with a receptacle inwhich the base and its associated parts may be received for completelyenclosing the pipes being stored and confining the deodorizingatmosphere provided in the dehumidifying and deodorizing chamber.

It is a feature of the invention that the base of the structurespecified permits reception of a maximum number of pipes even though thepipes are of varying sizes and shapes.

It is another feature of the invention that the base is constructed toprovide a minimum path of communica- Patented Jan. 28, 1958 tion betweenthe deodorizing chamber and the pipe bowls.

It is a further object of the invention that the cover provided over thebase and its associated parts not only shields the pipes butsimultaneously acts as a cover for the receptacle adapted to receive thebase to conceal the pipes and to confine them within a relatively smallenclosure which communicates directly with the dehumidifying anddeodorizing chamber associated with the base.

Other objects and features of the invention will be readily apparentfrom the following detailed description of illustrative embodimentsthereof and from the accompanying drawings wherein,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a pipe holding and storing deviceembodying features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately along the line22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a similar view taken approximately along the line 3-3 of Fig.1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the pipe holding base and associatedparts shown in Fig. 1, the cover member being omitted in order moreclearly to show the remain ing portions of the unit; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, similar to that of Fig. 4, of the pipeholding unit of another embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 4, thereference numeral designates a receptacle which is open at its top anddefines an interior chamber 12. The receptacle 10 in the embodimentillustrated is cylindrical in form, i. c. it has a circular crosssection, but it may vary in shape if desired and it may have a crosssection which is oval, square, or of any other convenient polygonalform.

Disposed interiorly of the receptacle 10 is a pipe supporting unitdesignated generally by the reference character 15. Unit includes alower platform 16 which, in the embodiment illustrated, is circular inform and is dimensioned to fit within receptacle 10, and a container 18which is adapted to hold a dehumidifying and deodorizing composition 20to provide a dehumidifying and deodorizing chamber 22. As may be seen inFig. 1, platform 16 has a peripheral flange 24 adjoining the outer wall25 of an annular channel 26 having a planar bottom 28. Centrally theplatform 16 is formed with a circular main body portion 30 having a sidewall 31 which defines the inner wall of the channel 26 and a top wall32. The container 18 is dimensioned to be received in the circularrecess 34 defined by the body portion and to extend somewhat below thebottom 28 of channel 26. A flange 35 is provided to engage the bottom 28to limit movement of container 18 into recess 34. In the embodimentshown in Fig. 1 the container 18 is received in recess 34 with afriction fit but it will be understood that any convenient means forremovably connecting these two units may be used. For example, container18 and recess 34 may be provided with complementary threads for threadedinter-engagement.

The unit 15 also includes an upper rack which is advantageously circularin form and is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spacedapertures 41 adapted to receive the stems of the pipes having theirbowls resting in channel 26 of platform 16, as shown in Fig. 1. Theedges of the apertures 41 are suitably covered with grommets 42 in orderto prevent damage to the pipe stems. Disposed above and overhanging rackit) and platform 16 is a shielding cover member 45 which is providedwith a removable handle member 46. As seen in Fig. 1, cover member 45 isdimensioned to be received over the opening in receptacle 10 to form aclosure therefor and is suitably provided with a rolled peripheral edgeadapted to overlie the upper rim of receptacle 10.

To facilitate .assembly and .disassembly for cleaning and other purposeslower platform 16, upper rack 40, cover member 45 and handle member 46are removably interconnected by means of a :stud :bolt 48 and a pair ofsleeves 50 and 51. Cover member 45, upper rack 40 and top wall 32 ofplatform 16 are provided with central apertures 54, 55 and 56,respectively, in which stud bolt 48 is received, a nut 58 threadecllyengaging the lower end of the bolt and handle member 46 being tapped at59 for threaded engagement with the upper end of the bolt. Thus, bytightening nut 53 and handle member 46 the entire assembly is rigidlyinter-connected but can be readily disassembled when desired.

The construction of the smoking accessory of the invention is such thatit provides means not only for holding and protecting smoking pipes whenthey are not in use but also for maintaining these pipes in .a'dehumidifying and deodorizing atmosphere to the advantage of both thesmoker and the non-smoker. As will be apparent from Fig. l, the covermember 45 which, when the unit 15 is removed from the receptacle 10,serves to protect the pipes from damage from falling objects, cooperateswith the receptacle to provide an enclosure for the pipeholding unitwhich confines it and further protects it. At the same time, thedehumidifying and deodorizing atmosphere which is present in chamber '22communicates with the atmosphere confined in receptacle 10. For thispurpose, the top wall 32 of the main body portion of the platform 16 isprovided with a plurality of apertures 60 surrounding sleeve 50 and inclose proximity to channel 26. The atmosphere created in chamber 22 isthus brought into contact with the bowls of the pipes being stored todehumidify and deodorize them. This atmosphere also mingles with theentire atmosphere in the receptacle and thus simultaneously acts uponall parts of the pipes. The inter-relationship of apertures 60 tochamber 22 and bowl-receiving channel 26 is such, however, that thedehumidifying and deodorizing atmosphere provided in chamber 22 isbrought into contact with the bowls of the pipes even when the unit isremoved from receptacle 10 and is set upon a table or other supportingsurface. There is thus provided a smoking accessory which makes itpossible to store smoking pipes in a manner in which they are fullyprotected from damage and are not objectionable to non-smokers while atthe same time being maintained under conditions which are beneficial tothe pipes and make them more suitable for later use. The structure ofthe bowl-receiving portion of the device permits the accommodation of amaximum number of pipes in a small area since the pipe bowls may beplaced side by side even though they are of varying shapes and sizes.

The chamber 22 may be provided with any convenient solid dehumidifyingand deodorizing agents. I have found to be particularly suitable acomposition composed of 90-9S% granular silica gel and 5-10% activatedgranular charcoal. This composition has a blue color when fresh andbecomes pink in color when it has become exhausted and requiresreplacement. The user thus has a means of knowing when the chamber 22should be refilled to maintain an efiicient dehumidifying anddeodorizing atmosphere. Other proportions of silica gel and activatedcharcoal may be used but preferably the major proportion is silica gelin order that the colors will not be obscured.

The receptacle and the unit 15 may be formed from any suitable materialsuch as metal, e. g. sheet steel, or a plastic such as polystyrene,polyacrylic resins, for example Lucite, and the like. I have found itparticularly advantageous to form the container 18 from a transparentplastic such as polystyrene or Lucite in order that the changing colorsin the deodorizing and dehumidifying composition are clearly visible,and to form the remainder of the device from metal, painted anddecorated in any desired manner.

It will be understood that the shape and relative dimensions of thevarious parts of the smoking accessory of the invention may be varied tosuit individual tastes. For example, the handle member 46 is notnecessarily a knob as shown in Fig. 1 but may be in the form of a ringor have some other convenient form. Similarly, the lower platform andthe upper rack of the pipe holding unit 15 are not necessarily circularin form but may have a generally square configuration or other form tocorrespond generally to the cross-sectional form of the receptaclewhich, as previously indicated, may have any convenient polygonalcross-sectional form. By way of illustration, there is shown in Fig. 5 apipe-holding unit 115 corresponding generally to unit 15 but varyingsomewhat in form in the manner above indicated. In Fig. 5 all partscorresponding to those shown in Figs. 1 to 4 are given like referencenumerals to which has been added. As shown, unit has a handle member 146which has the form of a ring secured to a tapped base 159 in which isthreadedly received the bolt 148, and upper rack 140 and lower platform116 are generally square in outline. In upper rack 140 thestem-receiving apertures 141 are arranged in a square rather than in acircle as in Fig. 1, and the main body portion of platform 116 is alsoof a square configuration. The container 118 for the dehumidifying anddeodorizing composition is correspondingly dimensioned so that it willbe received in the body portion with a snug fit, as by direct frictionalengagement, communication between the interior of container 118 andsurface 132 of body portion 130 being provided by apertures 160.

The embodiment of Fig. 5, like the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 4,effectively and safely holds a maximum number of pipes and exposes themto a dehumidifying and deodorizing atmosphere and at the same time iseasily kept clean since it is composed of structural parts which can beeasily wiped with a moist cloth or can be easily disassembled forcomplete cleaning.

While the invention has thus been illustrated and described withreference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, it will be obviousthat various changes and modifications in addition to those abovementioned may be made without departing from the scope of the inventionas defined in the appended claim. It will further be understood that,insofar as they are not mutually incompatible, the various features anddetails of construction of the several embodiments shown and describedare inrerchangeable with one another. It is intended, therefore, thatall matter contained in the foregoing description and in the drawingsshall be interpreted as illustrative only and not as limitative of theinvention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A smoking accessory comprising a pipe supporting unit, said unitincluding a main vertical stem, a lower platform secured to said stemand an upper rack supported by said stem with spacer means surroundingsaid stem to hold said upper rack in vertically spaced apartrelationship with respect to said lower platform, said lower platformhaving a raised central portion and a peripheral rim and a continuousannular groove encircling said raised central portion for receiving thebowls of a plurality of pipes, and said upper rack being provided with aplurality of circumferentially spaced-apart apertures for receiving thestems of said plurality of pipes, means defining a chamber carried bysaid lower platform in said central portion on its under side andextending into the central portion for receiving mean-s providing adehydrating and dehumidifying atmosphere therein and means comprisingapertures in said central portion above said chamber providingcommunication between said chamber and the upper surface of said lowerplatform, said accessory further comprising means defining a receptaclehaving a bottom, side walls and an open upper end and receiving saidunit at least to a point above said upper rack, and a shielding memberfor said upper rack and said lower platform 5 6 carried by said stem ata point above said upper rack, and References Cited in the file of thispatent spacing means to space said upper rack from said shield- UNITEDSTATES PATENTS lng member to leave sa1d upper rack and sa1d lowerplatform exposed from the sides to permit lateral access 835,645 SmlthNov. 13, 1906 thereto, and the periphery of said shielding member ex- 50 21 Bergeron Oct. 27, 1908 ending outwardly from said stem beyond theperipheries 7, Gawhell Mar. 23, 1926 of said upper rack and said lowerplatform and being con- 3,1 Kennedy Apr. 28, 1931 structed to cooperatewith the opening of said receptacle ,987,373 Shapiro Jan. 8, 1935 toform a closure therefor, and gripping means secured ,067,920 Heuser Ian.19, 1937 to said stem for lifting said shielding member and simul- 10,291, 33 Vevirit Aug. 4, 1942 taneously lifting said pipe-supportingunit for selectively ,488,087 Kravltt Nov. 15, 1949 inserting andwithdrawing said unit in relation to said 2,5 8,363 Gray Apr. 10, 1951receptacle.

